Horror movies for the most part fall under a restricted genre since there is only a particular section of the audience that enjoys watching them. This is also a major reason why most horror movies in Indian Cinema don’t end up doing great at the box office. But, when you add a polar opposite emotion along with it, the film becomes everyone’s cup of tea! Horror-comedy films are always a fun ride as they end up vanishing all the fear that we might have had. Although this genre is relatively new to Bollywood, there are some incredible films that have been made in the past few years including Bhool Bhulaiyaa. It made a mark with its unique storyline while also shedding light on mental health and superstitions. So here’s a list of 15 similar Hindi Movies that will give you both- chills and laughter!
1. Stree
Let’s begin with one of the most successful horror-comedy films in Bollywood. Directed by Amar Kaushik, Stree is based on an old phenomenon called “Nale Ba” which means “Come tomorrow”, a term that was used in Karnataka in the 1990s to get rid of any evil spirits that may have entered the town. In Stree, we see them using this term in Hindi by writing “Oh Stree, Kal Aana” on the walls every night. They refer this to as the spirit of a girl who was killed for being in an inter-caste relationship and apparently shows up every night to rescue all the men living in Chanderi. Starring Rajkumar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles, the film also sheds light on the supernatural beliefs that still exist in society and makes them seem nothing less than ridiculous. With a lot of laughter and a tad-bit horror, Stree is easily one of the best Hindi films falling under this genre.
2. Go Goa Gone
Released in 2013, this is one of the experimented films of Bollywood that was (surprisingly) well-executed. With Go Goa Gone, we saw zombies in a Hindi film for the first time which was super fascinating. Directed by Krishna D.K, the story focuses on three friends who plan an impromptu trip to goa and happen to visit an isolated island for a rave party being hosted by Russians. And even though they spend a happening night there, the next morning turns into a nightmare as they encounter flesh-eating zombies. It is quite disgusting to see the zombies on screen and imagine their existence, but that’s what tells you that the makers got it right. The rest of the film is just a laughter riot as we see the three friends trying to ward off the zombies and struggle to get out of the secluded island.
3. Golmaal Again
Golmaal has been a fun franchise of movies ever since the first part and Golmaal Again happens to be the fourth addition to that. Starring the iconic cast- Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemmu and Arshad Warsi, Director Rohit Shetty decided to add a twist to this one by making it a horror-comedy instead of just comedy. The plot is set in an orphanage where these four have grown up along with Khushi (Portrayed by Parineeti Chopra) who actually happens to be a ghost. But what is funny is the fact that one of the boys ends up falling in love with her, unaware of her reality. Without revealing much about the story, let’s just say that Golmaal Again gives us the right amount of chills as well as giggles.
4. Bhoothnath
Starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, Bhoothnath is a story of a ghost trying to scare a young boy named Banku but ends up turning into a friendly ghost. As Banku moves into a new house with his family, the (dead) owner of the house starts haunting them. The film begins as a typical horror movie with scary visuals and background music until we see him befriending Banku and that alone changes the whole narrative. The innocence and love of the young boy change his wickedness into friendliness as they both take us on a fun ride of emotions.
5. Bhoothnath Returns
If you have enjoyed watching Bhoothnath, you are sure to enjoy this one too. Again starring Mr Bachchan in the lead role, Bhootnath Returns is a sequel to the first part. The makers give us a fresh story with this one as we see the ghost coming to scare the kids on earth after being mocked in the ghost world for being “weak” as he could not even scare a child. It is fun to see how he fails to scare the kids on earth too as they are all smart enough to not get frightened by such petty things. However, things change when he meets Akhrot- a young boy who recognises his inner intentions and joins hands with him to remove corruption from the political world. It is a treat to see these both fulfil their agendas while the story concludes on an emotional note.
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6. Roohi
Rajkumar Rao starred in yet another horror comedy after Stree, this time alongside Jahnvi Kapoor. Roohi, produced by Maddock Films, focuses on two close pals namely Bhawra and Kattani attempting to kidnap a bride on orders of Guniya Bhai, who is supposed to marry her off to his client. However, things take an opposite turn when they find out that Roohi is actually possessed by a spirit. Jahnvi Kapoor looks rather scary and unrecognisable as the ghost but Rajkumar Rao’s wittiness and great comic timing balance it up well. The most ridiculously funny addition to the story is when we see Kattani fall for the possessed version of Roohi. All in all, the film has got some great performances that you shouldn’t miss watching!
7. Phillauri
Phillauri might not have done that great when it comes to box-office numbers but the performances are top-notch! We saw Anushka Sharma star in a horror comedy for the first time and nail the role. The story revolves around a rich man Kannan who is about to marry his childhood crush- Anu. But before he does that, his family asks him to marry a tree because apparently, he has Manglik Dosh. However, that marriage turns out to be a nightmare for him as a ghost named Shashi now visits him every night. She was residing under the tree that he married and now that the tree is chopped off as a part of the ritual, she has nowhere to go. Frightened and terrified, he tries to shoo her away but it doesn’t work until he discovers her friendly side. It is intriguing to hear a ghost narrate her love story with Phillauri while the couple tries to help her find solitude. The film also sheds light on blind religious beliefs with its plot. Both Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh have delivered incredible performances in this one.
8. Bhoot Police
Directed by Pavan Kirapalani, Bhoot Police is a blend of humour and horror though more of the former. Starring Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Yami Gautam in the main roles, the story shows many supernatural elements including exorcism performed by Vibhooti and Chiraunji. They both happen to own an exorcism business that runs on nothing but mere superstitions of other people. While searching for a new case to solve, they end up getting a seemingly ordinary case of exorcism in a remote village, however, no sooner than that, they find out that the case is anything but ordinary. Bhoot Police had gotten some mixed reviews from the viewers and the critics but it is not that bad a watch. However, don’t dive into this film expecting any terror or chills as you might end up getting disappointed.
9. Great Grand Masti
Although a film meant only for adults, Great Grand Masti also has a slight horror-comedy element along with all the adultered fun. Being the third part of the Grand Masti Franchise, this one also stars all the familiar faces including Ritiesh Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani. The story follows the life of four boys who aren’t allowed to get intimate with their wives. Fed up with the boredom, they leave for a village where they intend to live in a haveli and have fun with other girls. But soon they find out that the haveli is haunted by the spirit of a girl who won’t go away until she sleeps with a man. Beyond this is all adultered stuff until the ghost reveals the truth to their wives and turns all of them against their husbands. Watch to know how the wives react to their “Grand Masti” with the ghost.
10. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
Last but not least is this recently released sequel to the iconic Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Starring Kartik Aryan and Kiara Advani in the lead roles, the film is a nostalgic ride as the makers have managed to keep the nuances of the original movie alive. The chemistry shared by both the lead actors is phenomenal and Tabu nails her double role! There was a lot of buzz around this one but the fact that it got the biggest opening of the year speaks for itself. This one will soon be streaming on Netflix.
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